Creating Cloudbeary

There was a couple weeks in the beginning of January where I had some time to create a drawing or art work each day.  One of the art pieces was a sketch of ideas for this blog.  I already knew the name, one that I created years ago while living in Paris.  It connected me to my beginnings when I felt so far away at the time.

A week or so before posting on the blog for the first time, I began playing around on the computer to create the header...I thought the blog needed to be "perfect" or just how I wanted it, before I began posting.  With some inspiration from another blogger's post, I jumped right in. Even though I wasn't finished with all the details...I knew to follow my heart.

While thinking about how to maneuver the computer rendition to my liking a few different things inspired the following work in progress... several visits to the Matisse exhibit, some Eeboo paper in several patterns and colors and a conversation with my mom about paper cutting.

Haircut

Human Nature

My enchantment with flowers began as far back as I can remember with my mother's flower gardens, always blooming and changing with the seasons.  Later, on our first date, my husband offered me flowers.  It was so unexpected and I love that he continues to do so, bringing back memories and creating new ones. 
We lived in London for some time and flowers became a subject in many of my pastel drawings.  As the flowers were wilting and shriveling, I noticed another beauty...a kind of humanness.  
One day when I was riding the Tube, an old man walked on asking for money.  I was observing the people look away trying not to see him.  I didn't have any money on me and blushed.  The old man became angry at the people and stepped out.  I felt for him.
When I arrived home I began drawing the wilted daffodils Johann had given me the week before and I was surprised what I saw in the finished pastel.  It was the old man, the people on the train and myself.  This is the day I saw humanness in everything.

Orange Inspiration

Doodles

 Raccoon with Hat

I love to doodle!  Usually I doodle when I'm listening intently and have a pen or pencil in my hand...on the phone, at a meeting, anywhere!  My mind wanders along with the pencil and soon after beginning, an image appears. Then I let my mind continue on that path.  When I doodle, I feel very relaxed and I enjoy going with the flow. Sometimes I will warm up by doodling to give myself some inspiration like with Raccoon with Hat. First I drew a continuous line...every which way, then I turned the paper around and around until an image showed itself to me and lastly I chose gouache for the color.

A New Friendship

I've decided to begin a new friendship with the computer...today!  Many many years ago I made up my mind that the computer was not conducive to my intuitive process.  Sure, I would play around with a computer program, go with the flow of it and then intuitively try something only to be blocked by the ruling of following several more steps. This frustration continues on in my mind, "Why won't it work this way, it seems so simple?"
Though today...I choose another path and it is an exciting one!  I have a bunch of art that I was preparing to post.  I thought, this will be easy...take some photos and post them.  Well, a few of the photos didn't turn out so well and I thought to clean them up on the computer.  I found a great tutorial to whiten up a grayish background...

The above drawing of Panda is the original photograph and following is the one that was whitened...

After I did the steps to whiten the ink drawing, I felt like a little kid...all giddy...full of excitement...after learning something new!  With the excitement, I thought to continue with some pencil drawings.  The whitening technique didn't work so well, because as you see in the above drawing, the subtle gray pencil begins to disappear.  So, back to the drawing board!!

The Beginning

hello! I'm passionate to begin sharing about everything creative made from my heart...hands...my process...from all around me....what I see today, yesterday or years ago and how it all connects and begins new life in other ways or forms.  This journey speaks through my heart.